VoiceCon Keynote Liveblog: IBMVoiceCon Keynote Liveblog: IBM

VoiceCon, OrlandoAlistair Rennie, General Manager Collaboration Software, IBM Software takes the stage

VoiceCon, OrlandoAlistair Rennie of IBM starts his keynote by focusing on the ways we can collaborate better.

We make bad decisions, "not because we're dumb, but because we have bad information.Questions to ask your vendor:

How does your solution promote user adoption?

How do you make existing systems work together?

How do you strike a balance between delivery options?

Where's the ROI going to come from?

Can you serve large and small organizations?

Video: SXC Healthcare--they do managed Pharma benefit programs.

The company has 2500% growth rate over 5 years; also doing acquisitions. Retaining key talent in remote locations is key; making them feel like part of the culture. Sametime has helped them do it.

Describe themselves as a "Microsoft shop." Started with OCS, 25-30% user penetration. They went to Sametime. Also cite Sametime's ability to support their multiple PBX systems via Sametime and Sametime Unified Telephony.

Another customer, GEA, a global company providing systems for food and energy processes; growing travel costs, telephony costs, competitive pressures increasing, a mix of voice infrastructures.

GEA chose Sametime/SUT for a unified user experience to drive adoption (this idea that you've got to make sure people use the technology you're deploying is one that's become a recurring theme this year at VoiceCon).

Now describes tying together islands that have diverse existing infrastructure. Difficult to integrate.

Rolls out a trash can. They're the assets you've told your CFO you don't want anymore. Alistair throws boxes away in the prop trash can to represent throwing away technologies--"a career-limiting conversation in my company." The better way is integration and future-proofing.VoiceCon, OrlandoAlistair Rennie, General Manager Collaboration Software, IBM Software takes the stage